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Like many of you, we are feeling a combination of horror and outrage over the history of racism against Black lives. What we continue to witness is deeply disturbing and demanding of immediate social change.
The killing of George Floyd seen on video around the world is only one in a long and unacceptable series of violent and racist attacks and discriminatory behavior directed against people of color.
We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, all victims of systemic oppression and violence, and with Black communities across the U.S., the globe, and the virtual world in condemning racism and any and all actions that promote division.
Our mission at Second Life has always been to help build a better world, and in support of Black Lives Matter, we will be donating $10,000 each to three charities that are active in helping to fight oppression and injustice including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
How can you help? This weekend, you can participate in the Stand for Justice fundraising effort dedicated to raising funds for Black Lives Matter, Black Visions Collective, Campaign Zero, the National Police Accountability Project, and a Split Bail Fund benefiting 38+ bail funds nationwide. We also highly encourage you to sign petitions, text, call, or donate to show your support, acceptance, tolerance, inclusion, and equal opportunity for all.
Now is the time for us to come together as a community and to stand up for what is right, just, and decent. We hope that you will stand with us in our fight for a better world and in recognition that Black Lives Matter today and every day.
- The Linden Lab Team
CREDITS:
Photos: Hoseok Yun (top left), Prophet (top right), Janet Voxel (bottom left), and Nico Sorbet (bottom right)

This week’s “Second Life Destinations” video explores “The Empire of Dreaming Books,” an elaborate region that features a vast system of tunnels and catacombs worth getting lost in. If you venture far enough, you’ll also encounter the largest bookcase that you will find in any world - virtual or otherwise.
Inspiration for the project comes from a passion for the Zamonia series of books by German author Walter Moers, according to Num Bing who co-created the elaborate region with her boyfriend Clifton Howlet.
“There are books everywhere,” says Bing. “There’s no electricity. It’s [filled with] candle lights [and] all kinds of little book shops, restaurants [and] little houses...Outside the little city, we have added all the pretty little things that you like for kind of quiet serene moments. There’s a small stream, a garden, and trees.”
The ambitious project represents the first Second Life region created by the duo.
“Our visitors and all of their positive feedback have surprised and humbled us, and we are both very excited to see how much our creation is being enjoyed,” says Bing.
To learn more, watch the video or explore it inworld.
The Empire of Dreaming Books
Welcome to the Empire of Dreaming Books! Wander here in the city of Buchhaim, or explore the vast system of catacombs. Created in honor of an amazing Zamonia book series by Walter Moers, with the biggest system of catacombs and tunnels in Second Life. Share your photos in the Flickr Group: flickr.com/groups/-friendsofzamonia-
Visit in Second Life
CREDITS: Video Production: Draxtor Despres

This week’s “Second Life Destinations” video explores the towering Skyscrapers immersive architectural project by Gem Preiz.
Once you arrive, you’ll have the option of taking a guided tour that allows you to take a magical flight through this futuristic megacity via tiny vehicles or simply flying around.
According to the notecard provided in the welcome area, the city was built at 1/10 scale and uses a combination of techniques to give visitors the illusion of a massive city despite the fact that it is built on a single region.
“About 11,000 prims, 500 constructions of more than 100 different designs, 6 transport lines of 20 km in total (at scale), 6 bridges; diversity and excess that evoke but do not equal that of the megacities of our time,” says Preiz in the welcome message that greets visitors. “I hope that you will take as much pleasure in visiting this city as I had to build it during the 6 months of its realization.”
If you enjoy this creation, you’ll want to also explore the many other ambitious projects by Preiz - just look for the teleports in the Skyscrapers region.
Skyscrapers
Skyscrapers is a magical flight through a futuristic megacity. As this city is built at 1/10 scale, you become invisible for the visit, and you are provided with an "Invisible Avatar" in the welcome hall. You transport down to the city and hop on the Guided Tour (in 10 languages). Skyscrapers provides the illusion of a city of 2.56 km side that you fly around in – or about 100 normal regions!
Visit in Second Life
CREDITS: Video Production: Draxtor Despres

Today we’re rolling out a new logo for Second Life.
Second Life has seen a surge of interest from people new to SL, longstanding residents, and groups and businesses seeking a uniquely interactive place for gatherings and special events. With this renewed attention we decided it was time to update a key part of how we tell the world what SL is all about. Second Life is still going strong, with a devoted and energetic resident community, and we want everyone to know that.
The old logo has served us well but no longer projects our vision for SL as we move into this next decade. The new logo uses clearer, bolder type to communicate our optimism and confidence in what the future holds for SL. We retired the soft green color in favor of bright blue to reflect the boundless energy of our residents, who create amazing content and experiences. When it comes to what you can do with SL, the (blue) sky’s the limit!
Second Life is a big product. In addition to the Viewer, there are hundreds of web pages, and the old logo is on all of them. We don’t want to distract our teams from the important projects our community knows we’re working hard on. So you will see a mix of new and old logos for a while as teams find time to make updates.
We’re all excited to use the new logo and we hope you like it.
-- The Second Life team

Beginning on Tuesday, May 26th, we will be adding the Value Added Tax mandated by the governments of Norway and Australia (known there as the Goods and Services Tax, or GST) to services and products sold by Linden Lab to residents of those countries. You can read more about our implementation of these types of Value Added Tax here.
If you are or represent a registered exempt business, you can find instructions for entering that information here. Most other questions you might have about VAT should be answered in our FAQ here. If none of these resources have the information you’re looking for, please do not hesitate to contact our billing support team utilizing the options available to you at the Second Life support portal.

To comply with financial regulations, we’re making an important change to how US Dollar transactions are processed in Second Life. Beginning May 26, 2020, when you make a US Dollar payment or add a new payment method in Second Life, your transaction will be handled through Tilia Inc.
What is Tilia Inc. and Tilia Pay?
Tilia Pay is a product of Tilia Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Linden Lab. Tilia Inc. is a licensed money transmitter in all U.S. states and territories that regulate such activity. Tilia was created to provide secure and compliant solutions for powering virtual economies including Second Life.
To learn more about Tilia Pay, visit its new website.
Why are we making this change?
To stay compliant with regulations across a number of U.S. states, we are taking advantage of the additional safeguards built into Tilia Pay, leveraging the enhanced fraud and money laundering safeguards that Tilia Pay provides.
Stored-value accounts (your USD wallet, payouts, balance credits, etc.) are already handled by Tilia and now it will also handle all other USD transactions (including those involving conversion to other national currencies).
What does this change mean for you?
Because Tilia is the payment processor for Second Life, you will be consenting to the Tilia ToS and Privacy Policy when making a payment through one of your payment methods (such as a credit card, PayPal, or Skrill). This change does not require you to provide any additional information, nor will it result in any new fees.
What about L$ transactions inworld?
There is no change to L$ transactions conducted in the Viewer or in the Marketplace. This change only applies to transactions involving USD.
Are there any new fees associated with this change?
No new fees are associated with this change.
How do I learn more about Tilia Inc. and Tilia Pay?
To learn more about Tilia Pay, visit its website.
How do I submit my questions or concerns about this change?
For feedback and questions about Tilia Pay and Second Life, please join the discussion in our Community Forums.

To comply with financial regulations, we’re making an important change to how US Dollar transactions are processed in Second Life. Beginning May 26, 2020, when you make a US Dollar payment or add a new payment method in Second Life, your transaction will be handled through Tilia Inc.
Read all the details in the following post:
Have any questions or comments? Please reply in this thread.

Our annual multi-region inworld birthday shopping event is coming back this summer -- and we’ve just opened up the new application form for merchants who want to participate!
The SL17B Shop & Hop event, to be held June 19 through July 12, is the official multi-region shopping event of the 17th annual Second Life birthday celebration (SL17B). This event brings together many of the top merchants across SL for exclusive items and discounts on some of the best creations in Second Life.
Are you a merchant or creator that wants to participate? If so, then please fill out this form before Monday, June 1st, 2020. We will be filling in stores as we receive applications so please apply sooner rather than later.
Some important details for participating merchants:
The set-up for participating merchants will be held June 10-15 and all participating merchants are required to have at least a 20% discount on all items (including gachas).
Merchants are strongly encouraged to provide a new and exclusive, for the duration of the event, non-group gift.
Stores should not be entirely filled with gachas. Gacha resellers will not be permitted.
Items need to be appropriate for a moderate audience.
For more details, see the application form.
LAST CALL FOR SL17B EXHIBITORS
SL17B celebrations begin June 19, which is only one month away - so this is a “last call” for exhibitors who are interested in participating.
In Second Life, you can explore the (virtual) world from the safety and comfort of your own home -- and that’s why we’ve selected “vacations and road trips” as this year’s SL17B theme. Whether you teleport directly or travel to your favorite SL destinations by plane, train, or automobile, we hope to see a wide variety of community exhibits and experiences that celebrate the spirit of Second Life escapism and travel. Interested exhibitors can apply now to participate in the festivities using our official exhibitor application form.

This week’s “Second Life Destinations” video explores The Retreat, a beautiful hang-out space on the Mainland created by Anjelikka who writes regularly about her Second Life adventures at the No Time for Real Life blog.
“Second Life was my therapy that I could go to anytime I wanted to - especially in those wee hours at night,” says Anjelikka, who created her own happy place in SL as a way to help with her post-traumatic stress disorder. “Second Life is like a social life after work and it’s safe. I like that part. In real life, social gatherings are hard for me because I can not just leave if I feel uncomfortable. In SL this is understood and accepted People have lots of different situations - depression, anxiety - here it is OK. You are not going to be judged because everybody who comes here has some kind of story.”
At The Retreat, visitors can wander through a lush garden, explore an art gallery, or even enjoy music at the Basement Club.
“When everybody’s staying home, it is here where we can find friends, beauty, art, and creation,” says Anjelikka. “We are here to heal together.”
The Retreat
The Retreat is a beautiful hang-out with a lush garden, art gallery and the Basement Club. Enjoy, take pictures and bring friends to this wonderful place!
Visit in Second Life
CREDITS:
Video Production: Draxtor Despres

Due to the ongoing public health crisis, we’ve experienced an unprecedented surge in demand for new Second Life regions. While we are thrilled by the heightened interest, the increased demand has consumed our available inventory of full regions. Read the details in the following post:
Have any questions or comments? Please share them in this thread.

Well, this is awkward...
Due to the ongoing public health crisis, we’ve experienced an unprecedented surge in demand for new Second Life regions. While we are thrilled by the heightened interest, the increased demand has consumed our available inventory of full regions and homesteads (there are still many parcels available on existing regions, both on the mainland and from private estates).
We are committed to maintaining (and improving) the stability and performance of Second Life. So while we are very gratified that we can be of help to people in these trying times, unfortunately, our current server systems cannot accommodate unlimited growth without adversely impacting that stability and performance. This means that region inventory in Second Life will be extremely limited and may not be readily available until early fall.
WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?
As we’ve discussed previously, Second Life is in the process of migrating from our existing dedicated servers to a cloud hosting service. That migration has already moved a number of the most important services and databases, but we are not quite ready to host simulators in the cloud. We have a crack team working on that and are making lots of progress, but there are significant changes needed to make sure that we can provide the performance, stability, and security required. When that process is complete we will have a nearly unlimited region capacity, but until then we are constrained by the size of our existing server fleet.
While our migration project has been underway for some time, even our most optimistic business projections did not anticipate a surge of the magnitude we have seen in recent weeks for additional regions. While we planned for growth driven by improvements to Second Life and other factors, we didn't expect demand to be created by a global pandemic.
As a result, we are in the unfortunate position of hitting the maximum capacity of our “old” servers until the “new” cloud servers are fully operational.
WHEN WILL REGIONS BE AVAILABLE AGAIN?
Regions may be intermittently available as existing regions are returned to us by their current owners. Due to the economic impact of the public health crisis, we do expect that some limited number of landholdings will be returned to the general inventory in the coming weeks. This means that there may be some regions available on-and-off, but it is more likely that normal region sales will not resume until our migration to the cloud is complete. While we do not have an exact date at this time, we anticipate it will be early fall.
WHAT IMMEDIATE OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE MEANTIME?
So, what are your options if you are seeking land sooner?
Owning land on the Mainland is an alternative.
We can offer abandoned Mainland directly for sale with a range of various parcel sizes from 512sqm per parcel to an entire full region (minus infrastructure). You can learn more about purchasing abandoned Mainland in our Knowledge Base.
Consider renting from an existing landholder.
If you do not need an entire region, there are plenty of rental options available from established Second Life landholders right now. Learn more about how rentals work in our Knowledge Base.
You can also explore Land Auctions in Second Life.
Much like an auction on the popular auction-based shopping site eBay, Second Life Land Auctions allows individuals to place their bids on open inventory for available parcels across the virtual world. You can learn more about how the auctions process works in our Knowledge Base.
There are also third-party sellers that offer both parcel and full land rentals and sales.
For example, some of the better-known entities are listed on the Land & Estates category in the Destination Guide but you can also find many on the Forums or through the Land & Rentals tab in Second Life Search (on the web or in the Second Life Viewer).
We’ll update the community as soon as we can when normal region sales resume, but in the meantime, we recommend any of the above alternatives until things get back to normal.
Questions or comments? Please visit our related forum thread “Limited Availability of New Second Life Regions.”

The popular live music venue Lutz City of Templemore is in the focus of this week’s “Second Life Destinations” video. Home to frequent performances by many of Second Life’s most popular musicians, Templemore is a full city with apartment buildings, businesses, outdoor areas with a little chapel, hidden pianos and many ambient and nested stages -- all drenched in soft green hues like a film set designed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
The region is dedicated to the late Garrett Lutz, a patron of live music in SL who managed many artists and venues before he passed away in 2017.
Prior to his death, Lutz described Templemore as a “live music venue [that] features a grand stage where musicians become part of a living painting that reaches out to your very soul. Lutz City of Templemore isn't just a sim, it's home for your creative spirit.”
That spirit is still very much alive under current owner Luis Lockjaw, who has integrated all of Garett’s favorite aspects of Templemore into its most current form.
Musician Oblee, who is our tour guide this week, has played many Second Life venues over the years, but he says that Templemore is among his top favorites because of its particular charm due to its subtle mood, soft lighting, and overall beauty.
“It’s a work of art,” he says.
“I play a lot of local clubs but I really like playing in Second Life because there is such a great appreciation for original music,” says Oblee. “The importance of music in a time of social isolation is vastly understated.”
The song Oblee is playing in this video is an original live improvised tune called "Shapeshifter."
You can visit Lutz City of Templemore in Second Life via its entry in the Destination Guide, which also features several more live music venues worth exploring. To learn more about Oblee, visit his official website.
CREDITS:
Video production: Draxtor Despres

@Encore Sorry you weren't able to make it. The first screening was at capacity within a minute of opening. However, the screening has continued each hour and there has been room for anyone who wants to get in for subsequent showings. It continues until 9 p.m. ET so keep trying! Also, make sure to use the correct viewer. Thanks for attempting to attend!

This week’s “Second Life Destinations” video explores a new Adult Swim venue that will host the premiere screening event of the show “The Shivering Truth.”
As announced earlier this week, Second Life will host an exclusive sneak preview of two episodes from season two of “The Shivering Truth.” The event, held on May 8 at 4 p.m. (SLT/Pacific), will be live video streamed in this special screening venue so that attendees can enjoy and experience the episodes together. To participate, attendees must download a special version of the Second Life Viewer that supports live video streaming.
For more details about this event, visit this information page and the related FAQ.
Adult Swim - The Shivering Truth Live Event
Watch exclusive episodes from "The Shivering Truth" Season 2 during this special world premiere event in Second Life, held May 8 at 4 p.m. (Pacific) and repeating hourly until 9 p.m. (Pacific). IMPORTANT: To participate, you must download a limited-release SL Viewer that supports live video streaming. Details and download link at secondlife.com/view/adult-swim.
Visit in Second Life

PREPARING FOR THE EVENT
Do I need a Second Life account to participate?
Yes. Use this special event link to join Second Life.
Once you create your account, you’ll be prompted to download a special limited-edition version of the Second Life Viewer that supports live video streaming. You can also download the Viewer directly from this link.
I am already a Second Life member. Do I need to sign up again?
No. You can use your existing Second Life account to participate -- but you will need to download a new beta version of the Second Life Viewer in order to see the live video during the event.
What is Second Life?
Second Life is the Internet’s largest user-created virtual world already experienced by millions of people across the world. Participants can use text and voice chat to socialize, explore, and create together across thousands of unique virtual world experiences and communities. Almost everything you see in Second Life was created by the community!
How do I get Second Life? Is it safe to download?
Second Life can be downloaded and installed on both a PC and Mac using this special Viewer. Once you select your operating system, you will be prompted to download and install the Second Life software. Installing Second Life is safe and secure -- it does not contain any spyware.
While Linux is supported in our “normal” Viewer release, only a PC and Mac version is available for this event.
Will this work on a mobile device?
No. The live video streaming in this Second Life event is only supported by the special edition Viewer that works with a PC or Mac.
Are there any tutorial videos for getting started?
Yes! Check out our New User Video Tutorials on YouTube for tips on customizing your avatar and getting started in Second Life. These are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Turkish, and Polish.
How do I explore Second Life?
In addition to the special venue created for this event, Second Life is a huge virtual world filled with both public and private experiences including virtual nightclubs, fashion events, art exhibitions, social hangout spots, and much more. Check out the Destination Guide to see a directory of thousands of places. Once you see a virtual world destination you like, you can visit it “inworld” (inside Second Life).
DURING THE EVENT
How do I join the event or visit any location in Second Life?
Assuming you have already downloaded, installed, and logged in to the correct Second Life Viewer, you should be ready to go!
“The Shivering Truth” screening area will not be available until Friday, May 8 at approximately 3:30 p.m. (Pacific)/6:30 p.m. (Eastern). Any attempt to access the screening area prior to this will be unsuccessful - but you can explore other virtual world locations while you wait!
Once the event venue is open, click this link to get the directory listing with the correct virtual world screening location. On this page, select “Teleport” or “Visit this Location”
From the web directory, click the “Teleport” button.
Alternatively, you can choose “View on map” and then you will see a larger map that shows the location in the context of the entire virtual world. From this screen, you can click proceed by clicking “Visit this location.”
Once clicked, your Second Life Viewer will auto-launch and a pop-up “Place Profile” window will appear inside your Viewer - Select the “Teleport” button to travel to your new destination.
During your teleport, you will see an interstitial screen that looks something like this:
After the teleport is complete, you should be at your new destination!
My teleport is not working! What do I do?
Sometimes a teleport fails if the destination is offline, private, and/or already at full capacity. If so, you will see a message like this:
In the case of a high-demand event with limited seating, there is a good chance that the event is already at its maximum capacity.
If this is the case, then you can keep trying to teleport to the location. Once space opens up at the event, you should be able to teleport successfully.
Please note that screenings for “The Shivering Truth” will continue hourly until midnight (ET) on May 8 - so keep trying if you can’t get into the event on your first try!
How do I sit down or stand up in Second Life?
To sit on one of the seating benches in the screening room, simply hover your mouse over it and click. Look for the sit icon to appear as you hover your mouse over the benches. Make sure to position your avatar close to the seating bench before sitting.
To stand up again, select Stand at the bottom of the Viewer.
How do I get the live video to play?
Assuming you are using the correct Viewer, then video playback should occur automatically as you enter the venue. Please note that there may be a static image and music playing until the top of the hour when the show begins.
Are you seeing a blank video screen? If so, then there are a couple of things you can do to double-check that video playback is working.
First, double-check that you are using the correct beta Second Life Viewer that supports live video streaming. You can do so by selecting the Help menu in the top of your Viewer and then selecting About Second Life. A pop-up will appear with the release number of your Viewer. For this event, you MUST be using release 6.4.1.541204 for PC or Mac in order to see live video.
If the Viewer release number is correct, then you can also try toggling on/off the video playback. To do so, go to the upper right of your Viewer and look for the play/pause button.
Double-check that the playback is in “active” status (pause icon showing):
If you see that it is “not active” status (play icon showing), then click it to toggle playback “on.”
How do I zoom in close to the video screen?
To zoom into the video playback screen, click on it. You may also use the wheel on your mouse to adjust your close up view. Hit the "escape" key to return back to normal view.
The Second Life Viewer also has Camera Controls that you can use to manually zoom and pan your camera view. Use the Camera Controls button to bring up the camera menu or you can find a list of keyboard shortcuts here.
How do I control the volume on the video playback?
In the Second Life Viewer, look for the speaker icon and hover your mouse over it to expand to a pop-up selector that allows you to change the volume on various audio sources in Second Life. The Media slider controls the playback audio of the video, while the Master volume slider controls all audio sources.
Are you on a Mac? If so, please note that there is a known bug in our beta Viewer that prevents users from controlling the audio inside the Viewer. Instead, you will need to control the master volume using the volume control in the menu bar directly on your Mac operating system.
How do I claim my free Adult Swim virtual gifts?
Once you arrive, click on the “Free Gifts” kiosk near the entrance to grab your free and exclusive virtual “The Shivering Truth” swag. Once you claim your gift pack, you’ll find it in your inventory as a folder named “The Shivering Truth Gift Pack.” To instantly wear an item, right click any wearable item in the folder and select “Add.”
These limited-edition items won’t last long – so be sure to grab them as you arrive at the venue!
How do I talk to other people in Second Life?
For this event, voice chat is disabled but you can chat with text either privately or publicly to other attendees. To chat, select the Chat button at the bottom of your Viewer. A pop-up will appear where you can type in your text chat.
Someone is harassing me! How do I get them to stop?
You can block anyone by simply right-clicking on any avatar and then select “Block.”
You can also block them by selecting their name in the chatbox and right-clicking to select “Block Voice” or “Block Text.”
You can also report abuse inside the Viewer. See this video to learn more.
How do I become a VIP?
A small section of the event venue is reserved for VIP attendees that have been invited directly by the Adult Swim team. Access to the VIP areas is not intended for general audience participants - but everyone can have a great view of the screen by zooming in using the instructions above.
What do I do after the event is over?
Return to your normal dismal life. Or get a vibrant Second Life by continuing to explore thousands of cool destinations and events across the metaverse. Happy! Happy!